Plantae Textbook Review Flashcards
What differentiates a plant from the species of other kingdoms?
- eukaryotic
- have cell walls that contain the carbohydrate cellulose
- carry out photosynthesis using the pigment chlorophyll to convert sunlight and water into chemical energy which organisms can use and eat
What group of algae is most closely related to plants?
Green Algae
Why must a bryophyte have open water to be successful?
It needs to grow in moist environment because it is easier for them to obtain water. It’s also necessary for reproduction as their flagellated sperm needs to swim through the water to reach the egg.
List the five main groups of plants and describe two characteristics of each.
- Green Algae
- Have cell walls and photosynthetic pigments identical to plants
- Do not undergo alternation of generations - Mosses and Relatives
- are bryophytes and non-vascular plants
- can withstand long dry periods and harsh tundra-like conditions - Ferns and Relatives
- sporophyte is the dominant generation
- the brown dots underneath ferns are made up of spore capsules that releases tiny haploid spores that drifts down to the ground and grow tiny gametophytes - Seeds - Gymnosperms
- vascular plants
- have two adaptations for survival in diverse land habitats (1) smaller gametophytes than ferns, live on their own without the protection of the larger sporophyte** (2)** evolution of pollen - Flowering Plants - Angiosperms
- most effective reproductive and seed dispersal system in the plant kingdom as they have many adaptations that attract insect or other animals to directly transwer polen from one flower to another
- have structures that prevent water loss and improve their ability to reproduce on land
What is the function of the vascular tissue in plants?
Vascular tissue help transport water and dissolved nutrients from the ground to leaves and shoots.
What resources are necessary for a plant to grow?
- optimal amounts of water
- sunlight
- nutrients
- minerals
- warmth
- gas (oxygen and carbon dioxide)
- soil
Why are plants considered the foundation of most ecosystems?
- primary producers of most food chains
- carry out photosynthesis (using the pigment chlorophyll) to convert sunlight and water into chemical energy
- purify air and water
- convert carbon into sugar that other organisms can ingest and use (carbon cycling)
- provide food, fuel, fibre, and medicines like aspirin quinine and morphine
- release oxygen and absorb cabon
- detoxify soil
Which group of plants appears to be the most successful? Justify your answer.
Angiosperms are the most successful group of plants because they are the most diverse group with over 300,000 species and they have a number of adaptations that allowed them to be successful, such as flowers, which attract pollinators, and fruits which protect and disperse their seeds. They also have a unique **vascular system **that allows them to transport water and nutrients, resulting in symbiotic relationships with fungi and bacteria that help them absorb nutrients from the soil.
Most plants have roots, but mosses do not. Name and describe the function of the underground growth in mosses.
Mosses undergo gametophyte which means it produces gametes (eggs and sperm cells). The male and female sperms are produced in separate reproductive structure. The sperms are flagellated and must swim through water to reach eggs.
Why can ferns grow several metres tall but mosses can’t?
Lignin allows plants to be able to stand tall. Ferns cell walls are made up of lignin while mosses don’t have it.Moss also have no roots, stem, and vascular tissue so they are unable to extract or transport water whereas ferns have both roots and vascular tissue.
List two key adaptations that distinguish angiosperms from earlier plants.
- Flowers are pollinated by wind and animals, the ovary often develops into a fruit.
- Fruit provides a very effective way of dispersing seeds as it attract animals and digest them. If undigested, it is passed to other animals unharmed landing in new locations.
Alternations of generations is a key characteristic common to most plants. Which group of plants does not exhibit this life cycle?
Green Algae
Describe the process of alternation of generations. Use a specific type of plant in your description and be sure to identify which parts of the life cycle are haploid and which are diploid.
Alternation of generation describes how a plants life cycle alternates between haploid and diploid.
Haploid generation produces gametes which is called gametophyte. When gametes fuse, it produces a diploid zygote which then developes into an embryo.
Diploid generation produces spores which is called sporophyte.
Why is the dispersal of the seed a key factor in the success of angiosperms?
If plants grew too closely together, they have to compete for light, water and nutrients from the soil. Seed dispersal allows plants to spread out from a wide area and avoid competing for the same resources.
Describe how deforestation can contribute to climate change.
Trees are an important part of the water cycle as they transport water from the soil into the atmosphere through a process known as transpiration. Therefore, deforestation can alter precipitation and weather patterns affecting the diversity of local species.
